De Ambelt
De Ambelt is a publicly funded Dutch special education school under OOZ, serving students aged 4-20 with behavioral, psychiatric, or learning difficulties across seven locations in Zwolle, Hardenberg, and Wapenveld via SO, VSO, vmbo, havo, vocational, and psychiatric support programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1907
- HeadquartersZwolle, Netherlands
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What De Ambelt does
De Ambelt is a publicly funded Dutch special education institution headquartered in Zwolle, Netherlands, operating under parent foundation Stichting Openbaar Onderwijs Zwolle en Regio (OOZ) since January 2022. It provides education and support for students aged 4-20 who cannot thrive in regular education due to behavioral, psychiatric, or learning difficulties, delivered across seven physical locations in Zwolle (SO at Herfterlaan, vmbo at Hengeveld College, havo/tl at Oosterenk, AMG, and Ondersteuningsafdeling), Hardenberg (VSO), and Wapenveld (VSO, with a new build due end of 2026). Service offerings span Speciaal Onderwijs (SO), Voortgezet Speciaal Onderwijs (VSO), vmbo (BB/KB and TL), havo, Arbeidsmarktgericht (AMG) vocational training, and a specialized Support Department for students with complex psychiatric conditions. The school runs diagnostic teams (Team Diagnostiek), a guidance committee (Commissie van Begeleiding), an animal-assisted therapy farm (Stal de Worp), and an Arbeidstrainingscentrum (ATC) for vocational training, with diplomas issued in partnership with Deltion College, Thorbecke Scholengemeenschap, Vechtdal College, and Alfa College.
The business model is government-funded: Dutch VSO/SO per-student funding flows via OOZ, with a voluntary parental contribution of €33 per year for non-funded activities. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and the entity is not a target for traditional PE/VC investment given its public-institution status. The go-to-market is regional, relying on referrals from samenwerkingsverbanden (regional collaboration partnerships) issuing toelaatbaarheidsverklaringen, supplemented by direct parent outreach through the school's website, phone, email, and a digital enrollment portal. Pricing is effectively zero at the point of use (free public education), with a fixed intake calendar (September, November, January, March) and centralized enrollment office (Aanmeldpunt).
Technology infrastructure is limited to operational tools rather than proprietary platform technology: Somtoday for student tracking (attendance, grades, parent communication) and Zivver for encrypted email of confidential student data. The organization has no disclosed AI/ML, no patents, and no proprietary software products. Strategic activity in the past four years has centered on inorganic expansion (Sprengen College VSO Wapenveld takeover 2022, De Twijn VSO integration 2025), program extension (vmbo tl added to havo 2024), capacity build (new VSO Wapenveld facility end of 2026), and operational restructuring (five-equal-days schedule from 2025-2026).
De Ambelt firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- De Ambelt
- Legal name
- De Ambelt
- Website
- https://ambelt.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1907
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- De Ambelt is a publicly funded Dutch special education school under OOZ, serving students aged 4-20 with behavioral, psychiatric, or learning difficulties across seven locations in Zwolle, Hardenberg, and Wapenveld via SO, VSO, vmbo, havo, vocational, and psychiatric support programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
De Ambelt industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Special Education Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Services (61), Technical and Trade Schools (61151)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Title I & Compensatory Education Programs (EDAJAGAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Staff Training, Coaching & Professional Development (SEL/Mental Health) (EDAKAMAL), Behavioral/SEL-Integrated Academic Tutoring (Self-regulation, anxiety-informed study support) (EDANAFAK)
Keywords
Where De Ambelt is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Zwolle
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices8 records
Markets served
De Ambelt business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Government Education Funding: De Ambelt is a publicly funded special education school. Funding comes from the Dutch government through Stichting Openbaar Onderwijs Zwolle en Regio (OOZ), the parent foundation. Revenue covers operational costs including staff salaries, facilities, and educational materials.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Annual | Free public education with voluntary parental contribution |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
De Ambelt product offering
Product offeringCore offering
De Ambelt provides special education and continuing special education (SO and VSO) for students aged 4 to 20 who do not thrive in regular education due to behavioral, psychiatric, or learning difficulties. It operates multiple educational tracks including Speciaal Onderwijs (SO), Arbeidsmarktgericht (AMG) vocational labor market preparation, VMBO basic and intermediate tracks, and HAVO/TL programs across locations in Zwolle, Hardenberg, and Wapenveld. The school combines classroom education with diagnostic teams, therapeutic interventions, animal-assisted therapy at Stal de Worp, and an Arbeidstrainingscentrum (ATC) for vocational skills training.
Product overview
De Ambelt is a special education school offering a multi-level educational portfolio for students aged 4-20 who cannot thrive in regular education. The organization operates multiple educational services including Speciaal onderwijs (SO) for primary-age students, Arbeidsmarktgericht (AMG) for vocational labor preparation, Vmbo bb & kb for pre-vocational secondary education, and Havo/tl for higher secondary education. Additional services include VSO Hardenberg and VSO Wapenveld for secondary special education, and an Ondersteuningsafdeling providing specialized support classes for students with complex psychiatric needs. The school also operates Stal de Worp, a therapeutic farm facility. All services are connected through specialized support systems, diagnostic teams, and a Commission for Guidance (CievB) that develops individualized educational perspectives for each student.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Speciaal onderwijs (SO) Zwolle Special primary education for students aged 4-12 who cannot thrive in regular education, located at Herfterlaan in Zwolle. Includes specialized support, therapeutic interventions, and access to Stal de Worp farm facility.
- Arbeidsmarktgericht (AMG) Zwolle
Quantifiable outcome
- Successful transition to employment demonstrated through student cases
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use De Ambelt
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
De Ambelt technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
De Ambelt partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Stichting Openbaar Onderwijs Zwolle en Regio (OOZ)coreOOZ is the parent foundation of De Ambelt. The school became part of OOZ in January 2022. OOZ provides governance, strategic direction, and administrative support. De Ambelt works within OOZ's governance framework including compliance with Code Goed Bestuur (Good Governance Code) for primary education.
- De TwijncoreDe Twijn is another special education school that merged with Ambelt under OOZ. The VSO department of De Twijn is relocating to Ambelt's Oosterenk location, combining their approximately 130 students and 42 staff with Ambelt's existing programs. The collaboration aims to create an expert center for special education.
- Deltion CollegeminorDeltion College provides the Program of Testing and Conclusion (PTA) for havo students at Ambelt, and students receive their diploma from Deltion. Travo students also study at Deltion Sprintlyceum (vavo).
- Thorbecke ScholengemeenschapminorThorbecke Scholengemeenschap provides the Program of Testing and Conclusion (PTA) for tl (theoretische leerweg) students, who receive their diploma from Thorbecke.
- Vechtdal CollegeminorVechtdal College collaborates with VSO Hardenberg for vmbo BB and KB programs in years 3 and 4, allowing students to follow combined programs across both institutions.
- Alfa CollegeminorAlfa College collaborates with VSO Hardenberg for certain educational programs, expanding the range of offerings available to students.
- Gemeente Zwolle (Municipality of Zwolle)coreThe municipality of Zwolle approved the new location for VSO Wapenveld at IJsselcentraleweg 65 and is providing investment credit for the renovation. The municipality also handles student transportation arrangements and funding decisions.
- Inclusiepact Regio Zwolle (16 VSO/PRO Schools)minorAmbelt participates in an inclusiepact (inclusion pact) with 15 other VSO and PRO schools, sector tables (Techniek & Energietransitie, Zorg & Welzijn, Vrijetijdseconomie), and the municipality to improve transition from VSO/PRO education to sustainable employment for students with disabilities.
- Vrienden van de Ambelt (Friends of Ambelt)minorSupport organization that provides donations for school activities, farm maintenance, and student programs. Contributes to funding the Stal de Worp farm and Alpe d'Huez cycling challenge.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights5 records
De Ambelt competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- CED-Groep: CED-Groep is a Dutch educational advisory and support services organization that provides diagnostics, learning support, and educational consulting to schools, including special-education institutions. Comparable to De Ambelt as a Dutch educational-support ecosystem participant with diagnostic and remedial expertise, though CED operates as a B2B service provider rather than a direct school operator.
Broad incumbents
- Bartiméus: Bartiméus is a Dutch foundation offering special education, diagnostics, and care for people who are visually impaired or have multiple disabilities. Comparable to De Ambelt as a multi-site Dutch public special-education institution with an integrated diagnostic team, clinical support staff, and government funding dependency, though Bartiméus focuses on visual impairment rather than behavioral-psychiatric specialization.
- Auris: Auris (formerly Viataal) is a Dutch foundation providing special education and support for children and adults with hearing, language, and communication difficulties across multiple regional locations. Comparable to De Ambelt as a multi-track Dutch VSO/so provider with diagnostic expertise and government-funded operations, but Auris's specialist focus is narrower (hearing/communication) than De Ambelt's behavioral-psychiatric breadth.
- Kentalis: Kentalis is a large Dutch foundation providing special education and care for children and adults who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have communication disorders. It is comparable to De Ambelt as a multi-site Dutch speciaal onderwijs / VSO provider with in-house clinical and diagnostic staff, though Kentalis focuses specifically on hearing/communication rather than the broader behavioral-psychiatric cohort De Ambelt serves.
- Stichting Openbaar Onderwijs Zwolle en Regio (OOZ): OOZ is the parent foundation of De Ambelt since January 2022 and governs multiple primary and secondary public schools across the Zwolle region. It is comparable as the umbrella governing entity that allocates funding, sets governance standards, and determines strategic direction for De Ambelt, and its broader portfolio offers a read on shared back-office, HR, and IT scale.
Direct peers
- De Twijn: De Twijn is a Dutch speciaal onderwijs school in the Zwolle region whose VSO department is currently merging into De Ambelt's Oosterenk location. It is directly comparable as a same-region, same-population special-education provider, and its absorption provides a direct read on benchmark operating practices, inspection outcomes, and student outcomes that De Ambelt is inheriting.
- Lijn 83: Lijn 83 is a Dutch foundation providing speciaal onderwijs and VSO programs in the Amsterdam region for students with behavioral and psychiatric difficulties. Comparable to De Ambelt as a multi-site VSO operator serving a similar behavioral-psychiatric student profile with government funding, though operating in a different (Randstad) geography.
- Stichting De Zijlen: Stichting De Zijlen is a Dutch regional foundation providing speciaal onderwijs and VSO programs for children and youth with behavioral, psychiatric, and developmental difficulties in the northern Netherlands. It is the closest direct functional peer to De Ambelt — same student population profile (behavior/psychiatric), same multi-site government-funded model, and same regional concentration, making operational and funding comparisons highly relevant.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
De Ambelt social profiles
Digital presenceDe Ambelt financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
De Ambelt leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
De Ambelt funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
De Ambelt M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about De Ambelt
What does De Ambelt do?
De Ambelt provides special education and continuing special education (SO and VSO) for students aged 4 to 20 who do not thrive in regular education due to behavioral, psychiatric, or learning difficulties. It operates multiple educational tracks including Speciaal Onderwijs (SO), Arbeidsmarktgericht (AMG) vocational labor market preparation, VMBO basic and intermediate tracks, and HAVO/TL programs across locations in Zwolle, Hardenberg, and Wapenveld. The school combines classroom education with diagnostic teams, therapeutic interventions, animal-assisted therapy at Stal de Worp, and an Arbeidstrainingscentrum (ATC) for vocational skills training.
Is De Ambelt a public or private company?
De Ambelt is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was De Ambelt founded?
De Ambelt was founded in 1907. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is De Ambelt based?
De Ambelt is headquartered in Zwolle, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does De Ambelt make money?
One revenue line is on record: government Education Funding.
Who are De Ambelt's main competitors?
CED-Groep is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are Bartiméus, Auris, Kentalis and Stichting Openbaar Onderwijs Zwolle en Regio (OOZ). Direct peers are De Twijn, Lijn 83 and Stichting De Zijlen.
Does De Ambelt have an API?
No public API is recorded for De Ambelt.
What industry is De Ambelt in?
De Ambelt's product category is Special Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAGAJ, Title I & Compensatory Education Programs, with a secondary code of EDAKAMAL, Staff Training, Coaching & Professional Development (SEL/Mental Health). Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.